Freedom Fighters
by Myra109
Summary: Percy made some mistakes, but when the Ministry starts to kill off Muggleborns, he needs to make the decision: fight or flight. With help from Oliver, a girl named Audrey, and dozens of others, they become the freedom fighters. Language
1. Bookworm, Athlete, and Plans

_Hi! Welcome to Freedom Fighters! There's a prequel if you want to read it. It's a part of One Shot A Day, chapter 19: Not Powerless_

 _Also, Percy is OOC, but we never really saw him in the books or movies, so we don't really know if that was all a mask._

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nada._**

* * *

Percy tapped his fingers on the bar, watching people, cautiously, from the bar tender to any customers.

Waiting was never his strong suit, especially at a time like this when he could back out in cowardice. But he couldn't do that; he owed this to Penny.

"Hey, Perce," a voice said, and he looked up to meet the eyes of the person standing beside him. "You said you needed to see me?"

"Yeah, Oliver. Sit."

Oliver sat down, and the bar tender smirked before sliding a fire whiskey across the table.

Percy raised his eyebrows. "Come here often?"

"Oh, yes, Rob and I are best friends," Oliver chuckled. "Now, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, do you remember Penelope Clearwater?"

"Your first and only girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"Well, of course, I do. I still remember the time I walked in on you two snogging... Neither of you knew what you were doing by the way."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Thanks. And... well... she's dead."

Oliver choked on his firewhiskey. "But her friend told me that she was heading to America."

"She was, but the Ministry dragged her into custody. The dementors got 'excited' (their words, not mine), and she died the second day."

Oliver was quiet for a long moment. "So when's the funeral?"

"Saturday night. But that's not why I asked you here. I told you that because you are totally going to think that I'm off my head here, but at least by knowing that, you'll understand why I'm doing this."

Oliver leaned in. "I'm listening."

"Look, someone's been sneaking people out of the Ministry for three months, and with enough research, I found out who it is. What do you say we help her?"

Oliver's jaw hit the table. "Did Percy Weasley just suggest breaking the law?"

"I'm not breaking the law. According to Section 13, Part D, no wizard shall be discriminated for their blood status. Now, the law can't control people like Lucius Malfoy or the Notts, but it's a law that basically means that the Ministry shall give equal rights to everybody, no matter what their blood status may be. Therefore, we've been breaking the law since the first Muggleborn was dragged into the Ministry."

"You really thought this through, didn't you?"

"What can I say, Oliver? I've always been clever; I've always been about loop holes and ways to bend rules but never break them. But I can't do it alone."

"What do you want me to do?"

Percy smiled. And to think that for the longest time, he thought he didn't have any friends. I guess you find out who your friends are when you're asking them to go through with a plan that could nearly get everyone killed.

Bad thoughts, Percy, bad thoughts.

"Alright, let's talk back at my place. Too many people."

Oliver nodded, and he allowed Percy to take his arm for them to Apparate.

They appeared in front of a Flat door- Flat B19, to be exact. Percy looked from side to side down the hallway to ensure that no one was watching. Then, he went through about a dozen complicated wand movements before the door clicked open.

"Paranoid?" Oliver muttered.

"Well, one, a war's going on. Two, if we're gonna go through with this plan, we need all the security we can get."

"That makes me a little worried," Oliver mumbled before he followed Percy into the flat.

"Woah," the athlete gasped.

The flat was a disaster. Paper work had been strewn across the floor; blankets and clothes were lying over the back of the couch. Soda cans, water bottles, and empty vials were piled high on every table. Quills and Muggle pens and pencils snapped under Oliver's feet when he walked. There were three dishes on the counter, which was odd because who would do the dishes but not clean the rest of the flat?

"Percy, I think you've been robbed," Oliver said, stumbling back a bit from the shock that this flat belonged to Percy Weasley.

"No, I haven't. You see... um... after I found out about Penelope, I had a bit of a breakdown. Since I'm always at work, I never really got around to cleaning it," Percy told him, sheepishly.

"Alright, but after we discuss the plan, we are cleaning this flat. And when I volunteer to clean, we know it's a health hazard."

Percy laughed. "Good point. Now, let's go to the study. That's the only place that isn't trashed."

Percy lead him down a narrow hallway just as cluttered as the living room, and he escorted him into the door on the right side of the hallway.

Now, this room looked more like Percy. Books lined a series of bookshelves (in alphabetical order from what Oliver could tell), all of them dusted and polished. Paperwork was stacked neatly on the desk in three different piles, and a stack of journals was beside those piles. His quills were lined up just right on the right side of his desk with Muggle writing utensils on the left. The room was so clean, it made Oliver concerned for Percy's mental health.

Just like their dorm room had, actually. Seriously, that kid cleaned too much for his own good.

"Okay, the world is right again," Oliver sighed.

Percy laughed. "Oliver, I don't think the world will ever be right again. Anyway, so I have the plan all laid out. You still the opportunity to refuse, but I will have to obliviate you if you were to refuse. Sound good?"

Oliver nodded. "So what dangerous scheme have you cooked up?"

Percy reached into a desk drawer and withdrew a journal with a simple black cover with a scarlet PW written in the center. He opened it and set it on the desk for Oliver to see.

At first, he didn't see anything, and then, Percy hovered his hand above the page. Pure magic glowed from Percy's fingertips, running across the page until words appeared.

Seeing his shocked look, Percy said, "It only reacts to my magical signature. If you say yes, then, I'll also program your's. And I'll find a third person. That way, if one of us is captured... or kicks the bucket, the others can have access."

Oliver nodded, and he examined the book closer.

The plan was most certainly elaborate. Spells that were both from the present and as old as Merlin had been written on the paper with notes about what they did and when to use them. Addresses had been scrawled on the page with Safe House and a number next to it. Percy turned the page three times, revealing name upon name of Muggleborns, some of which Oliver knew and others he'd never heard of.

"These are the Muggleborns in custody right now. Half are due to go to Azkaban; the other half are to be kept at the Ministry. We start with the ones going to Azkaban; I will intercept the person taking them there, and you will be waiting at Safe House 1. We'll take this one step at a time, so we'll worry about the ones at the Ministry after we save these Muggleborns."

Oliver nodded, slowly. "Alright. What about this girl you talked about?"

"Audrey. You remember her- same year but Hufflepuff?"

"Oh, yeah. She had a huge crush on you."

"She did not."

"Yes, she did."

"She did not."

"Yes, she did."

"She did not."

"Yes, she did."

"Yes, she did."

"She did not... Did I seriously just fall for that?"

"Yes, you did. Now, back on topic. I'm going to meet Audrey on Saturday before Penny's... before her funeral. We'll talk about what we're going to do, and then, head for the funeral home. Our goal, though, is to get those Muggleborns free by tomorrow night.

"Audrey's working at a safe house until Friday, so we'll be on our own until then. All you have to do is be at this first address, and I'll get Muggleborns there. Any injuries or... complications will have to be fixed by you until I arrive."

"Alright. I can do that."

"Now, Oliver, I need you to tell me right now if you're having doubts. This isn't like the Death Eaters, where it's life long loyalty or death, but tell me right now if you don't want to do it."

"I do. After all, Penny was my friend, too, Perce, and she's not my first friend to get killed in this brutal war. Let's do it."

Percy smiled. "Thanks."

"No. Thank you for trusting me; I know you don't trust easily."

"Does anyone trust easily during these times?"

Oliver smiled, grimly. "True."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Ministry, Margaret Sweeden tossed and turned on the floor, where she was shackled to a dozen other Muggleborns.

What had she done to deserve this? What had any of them done? Been born to nonmagical parents. What kind of reason was that?

This reminded her of the Holocaust, and as everyone knows, the Jews, or at least most of them, didn't have a happy ending.

Sobs rang out around her, but Margaret was numb. Her parents dead; her friends dead, locked up, or who knows where; imprisoned alongside broken people.

She had heard the guards talking; her and half of the other Muggleborns were to be taken to Azkaban tomorrow. Margaret wanted to cry, but her heart was stone; she couldn't even bring herself to feel depressed over her fate.

"Hurry up and save me. Hurry up and save me. Cause without you, I'm blue," she sang under her breath.

That used to her friend Mary's favorite song (Hurry up and save me by Selena Gomez). She used to play it every night at Hogwarts, and now, even after three years, Margaret remembered those lyrics.

She didn't know where Mary was, but Mary was a Muggleborn, so she's probably dead, or at best, in hiding.

She missed Mary, Sandra, Kennedy, her parents, her boyfriend Logan, but most of all, she missed her little sister.

Little Natania, six years old and innocent with those big blue eyes and her long blonde hair. She'd been at a friend's house the night the Death Eaters attacked their home; thank Merlin.

Margaret's breath hitched. Who would take care of her?

"I'm so sorry, 'ania," she whispered. "I miss you. And I'll find you. I promise."

But how would she escape?

Wouldn't somebody save her?

* * *

Percy sat bolt up right in his bed, breathing hard.

That was an odd dream. In the back of his mind, he'd known that he was Percy Weasley, but he'd felt... like Margaret. Like he'd been her his entire life. It was frightening.

He got to his feet and opened the journal, turning it to the page with the Muggleborn names. Sure enough, Margaret Sweeden was sandwiched between Eric Sues and Jane Tacks.

Somehow, that dream made him more desperate to save the Muggleborns.

He pulled out his Muggle cell phone and searched Margaret Sweeden.

An article popped up.

 _After the murder of her parents and the disappearance of her sister, Natania Sweden will be staying with a close family friend named Tarry Gene._

 _"It's horrible. She's only six, and she's already been through hell. I'm glad to take her; and if the parents can't be alive, I hope her sister's our there. The poor child's lost enough already," says Tarry._

Percy quickly scribbled down those names- Natania Sweeden and Tarry Gene.

He'd rescue Margaret and get in touch with her family.

At least one Muggleborn would have someone waiting for her when she was rescued.

* * *

 _What does Percy's dream mean? What is Audrey like? Will they rescue the Muggleborns? So many questions, and so little answers! Don't worry, though, everything will be answered in time._

 _Goodbye!_


	2. In Which A Marker Is Your Only Weapon

_Hello, everyone! Sorry for the late update, but school has been kicking my butt, what with it being the fourth grading period and all! On the bright side, Spring break is less than two weeks away!_

 _WARNINGS: LANGUAGE, BRIEF TORTURE_

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nada. I'm sorry._**

* * *

Percy Weasley lived in a very wizard based society, and he could use quills, but when no one was looking, he preferred to use Muggle writing tools. Much easier to hold and less likely to smear. Currently, he was using a Sharpie to doodle on a sheet of parchment, bored out of his mind.

If this plan was going to work, timing was crucial. Oliver had knocked the guy that would be taking the Muggleborns to Azkaban out on the guy's way to work. That was seven fifty-four AM. Then, he called in sick for the guy; luckily, Oliver was very good at doing impressions.

Umbridge and Thicknesse had just gotten the call at exactly eight o'clock. They would be arguing over what to do for roughly two minutes, and around the one and a half minute mark, Percy would head downstairs to give some paperwork to Thicknesse. He would overhear the argument and say that he was free and would gladly take the... Mudbloods to Azkaban.

Don't pause, Weasley, he thought to himself. Be convincing.

He looked at his watch. 8:01. Time to go.

Gathering the paperwork on the Muggleborns (most of which he had changed the files and would get the people released as quickly as possible), Percy stuffed his marker into his pocket, picked up his quill, and headed that direction.

The halls were so quiet. When Percy was younger and had first started at the Ministry, it had been busting with life and laughter and conversation while still being a serious place. The people were people back then.

Now, most halls were empty. Most offices were empty, and the ones that weren't had their workers holed up in them, too afraid to even leave for a cup of coffee. And the ones freely roaming the halls either kept their eyes trained to the floor and walked at an incredibly fast pace or were Death Eaters themselves.

Percy was surprised when he wacked into someone. Almost every hallway was empty; maybe he'd walked into one of the fast walkers.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see-" The person abruptly stopped talking.

Percy, dreading what he'd see, looked up and met his father's eyes.

He suddenly felt the urge to tell him everything from Penny to Oliver to the plan. But he couldn't; he couldn't put his dad in danger like that.

"Hello, D-Father. I'm afraid I have to go," Percy told him, trying to slip away.

Dad? Why had he done that? He couldn't called his dad that in years. Hopefully, he didn't-

But he did. Arthur's eyes went from stone cold to water in a moment. He'd caught the slip up.

"Percy, there's a war going on. Let's forget about what happened, okay? We just want you home. We're worried for you, out on your own."

"You don't need to be," Percy told him while inside, he was thinking, yes, you do. "I can take care of myself."

"I didn't say you couldn't, Percy. It's just that-"

"You're worried. I know. But I'm worried, too. Maybe some day you'll understand what that means."

Percy, ignoring the awful knot of guilt and fear and homesickness in his chest, brushed past his father and continued walking. He felt Arthur's confused eyes boring into his back, but he willed himself to stand tall and keep going without a hitch.

The red head sighed when he turned the corner and away from his dad's prying eyes. He nervously shuffled papers, but as soon as he arrived at the Minister's office, he stopped, straightened his things, and knocked.

"Who wishes to enter?" Umbridge's 'sweet' and professional voice sounded from the other side of the door.

"Percy Weasley," Percy responded, trying to sound pompous and confident.

"Oh, Mr. Weasley, do come in."

Percy opened the wooden door and stepped inside the office. "I've finished my paperwork on the Mudbloods. Some of them aren't actually Mudbloods. Several have magical relatives far back in the family tree."

Umbridge nodded. "And the others?"

"The magic stealers? They can go to Azkaban, for all I care." Percy felt guilty even saying this, but he knew it wasn't true. It would never be true.

Then, he saw his opening when he met Thicknesse's frustrated eyes.

"Is there a problem?"

"Yes. Travis called in sick today. That wouldn't be that big an issue, but we have another batch of Mudbloods coming in soon and we need to get the others to Azkaban before the Ministry is packed with them," the Minister sighed.

"I'm available," Percy offered. "I finished my paperwork, and I'd be glad to see another batch of Mudbloods shipped off to where they truly belong."

Thicknesse smiled, sickeningly. "Wouldn't we all? Alright, Weasley, I'll put you on the job today. Take this note, so Jordan Azus, the guard, knows who you are."

"Thank you, Minister. I shall leave immediately," Percy told him before walking out to fetch the Muggleborns.

He couldn't believe that he was actually doing this: lying, going against the Ministry, the very thing he had gone to extraordinary lengths to defend. But he was doing the right thing, and nothing, nor no one, could convince him otherwise.

That's what was the worst, though. Did people like Umbridge and Voldemort truly believe that they were doing the right thing, and wouldn't change their minds? Or did they know what they were doing was wrong, but they were doing it anyway? Percy really didn't want to think about that anymore.

Cold air seeped into his bones; sadness clouded his mood; the sudden urge to cry or scream flooded through him, which could only mean one thing.

Dementors.

Percy tried to chase the feeling away with memories of his family and Oliver and his school days. It almost worked.

The redhead stepped into the Atrium and tried not to flinch. The sight of the Muggleborn chained up like slaves, sobbing, screaming, and sometimes laughing hysterically, made him want to get sick.

"Weasley," Marlene Sargence said, stiffly. She was a lot like who he used to be, just much more cruel.

"Sargence. I'm here to take the Mudbloods to Azkaban."

"I thought Travis was doing that."

"He called in sick. Now, hurry. The sooner we get these thieves out of the Ministry and where they truly belong, the better."

Marlene smiled, sickeningly. "Agreed. That line over there."

She gestured to a line of Muggleborns in chains on her left, and Percy picked out Margaret Sweeden immediately.

She was an average girl, for the most part. If Percy didn't have that dream, he wouldn't be able to pick her out of a crowd. She was short with long black hair, knotted with dirt and grime and blood. He face was also streaked with those substances. Her clothes were torn nearly to shreds, and her eyes were broken, but Percy knew that somewhere deep inside her, she had a glimmer of hope.

He grabbed the front person by the arm, trying to be gentle while making it look like he was being rough.

"Move along then!" He barked, shoving the first Muggleborn forward, but not hard enough to knock them off their feet. They barely stumbled.

Some of the Muggleborns looked afraid, but others stared at him, recognizing that something was off with this one. Many others wouldn't have cared if that Muggleborn cracked his head open on the floor, but Percy had barely pushed them.

Percy escorted them to the Floo Network, pushing them through one by one.

Percy knew that he couldn't send them straight to Oliver. The Minister could simply look up all the Floos today, and he'd find out what Percy had done, and Percy Weasley would be finished.

But if he made the escape look like a mistake on the guard's part, well, he was in the clear.

Percy was the last one through, and he found himself standing alongside dozens of terrified Muggleborns in a dusty, dirt room with a chair, a desk, and a lamp. It was cold and the lights were dimmed.

"Weasley?" Jordan Azus, a short, ugly man with frizzy black hair that looked to have been never washed, scowled at him with crooked teeth.

"Mr. Azus, the Mudbloods," he told him.

"Ahh, the dirty bastards," he sneered. "I'll take them. You go along."

Percy pretended to think it over. "I don't think so," he said, simply, taking out his wand. "Stupify!"

He'd obviously forgotten how fast Jordan was; he dodged with the agility of a cat and drew his own wand.

"Expilliarmus!"

Percy's wand flew away from him, but Percy had a back up plan.

Magic came from the wizard themselves, not from a wand. Wand less magic was possible, although incredibly powerful and draining, both physically and mentally. Magic was much easier when something was channeling it. A wand was the best because of the combination of wood and cores unique to the wizard. But other things worked too.

Percy threw his quill at Jordan; it wasn't supposed to really do anything, except distract him. The real part of the plan came next.

Jordan jumped, thinking Percy had thrown something else at him (what, Percy didn't know. Jordan wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the box). When he saw the quill, he laughed.

"What was that supposed to d-"

"Expilliarmus!"

Jordan just barely dodged this time, throwing a stunning spell over his shoulder and missing Percy by inches.

"Crucio!"

Percy dove to the ground, but the spell hit his leg and fire flared through his body.

Percy had never been hit by the Cruciatus Curse before, but oh, boy, did it hurt! Shards of glass drove themselves into every pore of his skin; his bones and muscles were stretching beyond their usual lengths; acid was flooding through his veins. The pain was so intense that Percy couldn't even tell if he was screaming or not.

Luckily though, Percy had the ability to think clearly through pain, or at least at the moment. There was a counter spell... Now, if only he could remember the words.

"Cruciatus delere!" He gasped, aiming his Sharpie at Jordan.

The blue light flickered out, and the pain ended. Jordan was surprised; after all, thinking through the Cruciatus was hard enough, but using magic? No way.

Percy saw his chance. "Stupify!"

Jordan dropped like a stone.

He stumbled to his feet, retrieving his wand and quickly erasing Jordan's memory while replacing it with a memory of the Muggleborns overpowering him after Percy left. Percy was in the clear.

Percy took a hand full of Muggle coins out of his pocket and started passing them out.

"These Portkeyes... will take... you... to s-safety." Apparently, the Cruciatus Curse had taken its toll on him because Percy's speech patterns were all over the place.

Margaret and a man only a few years older than Percy came over to help him. His legs were shaking, and he felt ready to collapse. They slipped their arms around his shoulders, and they used a Port Key to transport them to safety.

* * *

The Muggleborns and Percy appeared in Safe House 1, where Oliver was waiting.

Safe House 1 was a seemingly small building, but still very cozy. It was a simple, wooden cabin with no windows and a single door that was loaded with locking charms. Despite looking small at first glance, the cabin had three floors (counting the basement) and five bedrooms. The house could fit a little over a dozen people, comfortably.

The room they were standing in was painted a brick red and had two couches, three small tables, and a large open space, where the people were currently packed together.

"Alright," Percy mumbled. "Oliver, you mind?"

"Oh, sure. Alright, I'll be sending men downstairs to the basement, which is kind of our make shift Infirmary combined with a bedroom that can fit three people. Then, I'll be sending women upstairs to be treated in the upstairs bedrooms. Finally, anyone under eighteen will be treated on this floor. After that, we'll have a tour and sort out sleeping arrangements."

"Now," Percy spoke up. "Oliver has your wands, but they are not to be used unless under severe circumstances. The Ministry is tracking all wands; I'm hoping that I can eventually get the track off the wands, but there's no telling when that may be. Until that happens, wands are not to be used unless it is life or death."

"Now, before we do anything," Oliver said, "what happened to you?" He gestured to Percy.

"Azus crucioed me, but then, I probably just got him fired, so I think we're even."

"Well, we can't send you back to work like that," Oliver told him. "And we'd better send you back soon, or they're gonna get suspicious."

"Use Heliosa," a Muggleborn woman told them. "It can clear most of the side effexts, except for maybe some shaking and stuttering, but both can be controlled enough as to not look suspicious."

"Were you a Healer?" The redhead asked as he cast the spell.

She smiled. "Still am. Once a Healer, always a Healer."

Percy grinned. "Let's hope that doesn't apply to Ministry workers. Now, I better head back. I'll be back to check on everything around six."

"So you're not working until eleven?" Oliver gasped. "It's a miracle!"

Percy punched him lightly. "Shut up, Oliver."

He Apparated away and popped into his office (yes, he'd figured out a way to Apparate straight into the Ministry. Don't tell anyone). No sooner had he sat down did the door open.

"This is ridiculous!" Thicknesse roared, stepping into the office, alongside Umbridge. It took all of Percy's willpower not to flinch.

"What is the matter, Minister?" He asked.

"Jordan Azus was overpowered by those damn Mudbloods! They knocked him out and left! That weakling let them escape after we went to so much trouble capturing them!"

"What?" Percy growled. "That... this is..."

"You have permission to swear," Umbridge said as she crumpled up the Announcement.

Percy then let loose a string of cuss words that would make a sailor blush.

Thicknesse stared at him. "You have quite the colorful vocabulary."

"That's beside the point," Umbridge muttered. "What we need to do is get these thieves back in custody."

"I'll send out a Warrant of Arrest immediately," Percy told them, making a quick note on a piece of parchment.

"Thank you, Weasley. At least we have some _proper_ management here," Thicknesse told him before he and Umbridge left to vent elsewhere.

Percy locked his office door and cast a Muffling charm in and around his office; people were getting bugged these days, and while he didn't think he was one of them, he wasn't taking any chances.

Then, he pulled out his cellphone and dialed the number.

"Hello?" A female voice said.

"Hello. This is Percy Weasley."

"Have you found her?"

"Yes. She's safe at the moment. I will come to pick you and the Little One up around five forty-five."

"Oh, thank you. Thank you so much!"

"No need to thank me. I'll see you soon."

Percy hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

The plan was falling into place perfectly.

The Muggleborns were safe; none were injured.

No one suspected Percy (yet).

Terry and Natania would be able to see Margaret tonight.

But deep down, Percy knew the truth: this was the calm before the storm. Something was bound to go wrong eventually.

The question was when.

* * *

 _I TORTURED PERCY! I almost feel bad. Almost..._

 _So what'd you think of the chapter? Also, I am open to ideas and suggestions; I have a plan for the story, but some details are a little wobbly. Any suggestions are beneficial!_

 _Finally, what'd you think of Percy channeling his magic with a Sharpie? Don't under estimate the permanent markers..._


	3. When Your Dreams All Fail

_Sorry for the delay, but I have a fairly long chapter for you. Over 3000 words!_

 _Also, there are some things in here that aren't canon at all, but they make the story more interesting, so I made them up! This story is officially an AU, not just because of some details in this chapter, but also more things later on in the story._

 _This chapter is also kind of dark, but the next few chapters will be packed full of action to make up for the darkness, so... yeah_

 _*I probably should've included this last chapter, but I know there isn't a counter curse for the Cruciatious. I just thought, hey, if it's such a terrible curse, why hasn't anyone ever thought of a counter curse. The fault in that person's plan would be that thinking through the Cruciatious is nearly impossible._

 ** _ALSO, IMPORTANT : I AM GETTING READY TO POST A NEW STORY. I HAVE THE SUMMARIES OF A FEW IDEAS ON MY PROFILE. PLEASE READ THOSE AND VOTE ON THE POLL OR REVIEW THE ONE YOU'D LIKE POSTED ON ANY OF MY STORIES. THANK YOU!_**

 ** _WARNINGS: MENTION OF A MISCARRIAGE AND A BAD NIGHTMARE (IT'S ITALICIZED; YOU CAN SKIP ANYTHING THAT'S BOLDED, BUT ANYTHING THAT'S JUST ITALICIZED NEEDS TO BE READ)_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

* * *

 _When the days are cold_

 _And the cards all fold_

 _And the saints we see_

 _Are all made of gold_

 _When your dreams all fail_

 _And the ones we hail_

 _Are the worst of all_

 _And the blood's run stale_

-"Demons" by Imagine Dragons

* * *

Percy tapped his foot wildly, looking back and forth, up and down the street.

He was supposed to meet Audrey at two PM on the corner of Terry and Birchenwood (if you've read my other story, Sacrifice of Brothers, this place will seem familiar).

It was already two fifteen.

Percy held his coat closer to him. The air was freezing, which seemed fitting, considering Percy would be attending a funeral after this. Penny's funeral.

"Hello."

The voice startled Percy so badly, he was barely able to stop himself from jumping and drawing his wand in the middle of a Muggle street.

He turned to face Audrey Hunter.

She hadn't changed much since Hogwarts. She was still shorter than him (but since Percy was so tall, she was probably considered average height), and still as slim as ever. Her hair was longer than it had been, but it was still a mess of untamed curls, like Percy's and Hermione's (before she'd turned 13). Her eyes were a pretty brown with flecks of green. Her appearance was mostly the same, but she had started to develop in... other areas.

Ahem, priorities, Percy.

Oh, right. Anyway, she was dressed in a green dress with black leggings (this must've been a Muggle style or something) and a black hoodie with the hood up.

After sizing her up, Percy met her eyes. She smiled; that hadn't changed either, and Percy was glad, although he'd never admit that to himself or anyone else.

"You haven't changed much," Audrey said before adding, "physically."

"Neither have you," Percy agreed, "physically."

But she had definitely changed mentally. The teenage Audrey would've never done something like this. The teenage Percy wouldn't have either, though.

"Let's go back to my place, where it's more private," she told him.

She led him to a street less than a block away. The houses all read Grimmauld Place. Grimmauld Place 10, 11, 13... They came to Grimmauld Place 15.

"Hey, where's 12?" Percy asked.

Audrey grinned. "Why, aren't you observant? Most people either don't notice at all, or assume somebody messed up the numbering.

"The Black family used to live there; they have tons of spells to hide it. My family hated living so close to a 'dark family,' in their words. But my dad liked playing with the two boys until their mother found out and came by, raving about blood traitors. My father never saw them again after that."

Percy nodded. "I know the feeling. You know the Malfoy family?"

Audrey nodded. "Yes, why?"

"I used to play with their older boy, Bennet."

She frowned. "I thought they only had one child."

"They do now. I used to play with him before Hogwarts. He hated his name, and he told me to call him Brandon. As soon as he turned eighteen, he was going to change it.

"But then, his parents found out he was friends with me. Lucius exchanged words with my father, and I never saw Brandon again. A week later, there was an article in the newspaper about Brandon being involved in a terrible accident. There's a rumor that Lucius killed him when he found out his son was involved with blood traitors.

"Maybe that's why Draco is the way he is. He was there, and he never told anybody what happened, so with enough bribery, the case was closed."

"Wow," Audrey whispered.

"Pureblood families sure cover things up well," Percy said.

"Yeah," Audrey agreed, staring at where Grimmauld Place 12 supposedly was, as if remembering something. "They sure do."

They stood there in silence until finally, Audrey turned to the door and unlocked it. She stepped aside to allow him entrance.

"Come on in."

Percy stepped inside, and out of the back room came a woman.

She was obviously Audrey's mother. She could've been Audrey's twin, if she weren't older. She wore a nice dress with flowers around the hems, and there was a bright smile on her face.

The woman hugged him; Percy was so surprised, he nearly fell over. He vaguely noticed Audrey stiffling a laugh.

This woman reminded him of his mother.

Percy stopped that train of thought in its tracks. This wasn't the time to get distracted.

"You must be Percy. I'm Audrey's mother, Lucy Hunter. Please, call me Lucy."

Percy smiled at her. "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine. Now, I believe you two to be very responsible. No funny business," she said with a stern face.

Percy blushed. "Of course not."

Audrey burst out laughing. "Percy, she's messing with you."

"Oh... well, as my brothers and sister say, I never can take a joke."

Audrey smirked. "Got that right, Mr. Perfect Prefect."

Percy glared at her before snickering.

"I'm not so perfect. You should've seen me when I cursed Marcus Flint when he called my girlfriend some names I dare not repeat."

"I didn't see you, but I saw Marcus. He walked around with those boils for weeks. Now, anyway, thanks, Mum. We'll be upstairs."

Audrey lead Percy to her room. The room was just like Audrey. Clean, but still cozy with books and journals everywhere.

"Why so many books? I thought you were a Hufflepuff, not a Ravenclaw."

"Says the Gryffindor that spent every waking moment enforcing rules or in the library."

"...Good point."

"So anyway," Audrey suddenly turned serious. "The Muggleborns you rescued. How are they?"

Percy put up a muffling charm. He trusted Audrey's mother, but you can never be too careful.

"They're fine. No life threatening injuries. They're at Safe House 1."

"Good. What's our next plan?"

"Well, to get the Muggleborns out of the Ministry itself, distraction is the key. I'll find a distraction and get to the Muggleborns to tell them the plan. Afterwards, you, Oliver, and I will show up (invisible, in cloaks, or in a disguise of some sort). You lead the Muggleborns to the floo while Oliver and I cover you. Then, we get the hell out of there, and take them to Safe House 2."

"What if somebody notices you're missing from the Ministry?" Audrey asked.

Percy smirked. "They won't."

He pulled a small remote from his pocket and pressed the button.

Audrey let loose a little shriek (good thing Percy put up that charm) when another Percy appeared in the room with them.

She took a few small steps forward and ran her hand through him. He fizzled, making a sound like static on a radio.

"It's a hologram," Percy explained. "I programmed him so that he throws Stupefies and disarming charms. I also programmed him to aim for us, but since he isn't real, neither are his spells. Observe."

The hologram took out his wand and shouted, "Expilliarmus!"

A red light shot out, but it frizzled out before it'd even traveled a foot away from him.

"If it did come within contact of human skin, it would give them a minor shock, like when you touch a doorknob that has a lot of static. Overall, though, no harm done."

"How did you make this?" Audrey whispered.

Last year, Percy may have puffed up with pride, but now... after all the wrong he'd done, it was hard to look past that and at all the _right_ he had done.

He shrugged. "It was quite easy. I went to the library and found a book on it. I really just followed the instructions."

Audrey nodded, but she still looked to be in a state of shock.

"Anyway, to them, it'll appear as if I were never gone."

Audrey smiled. "There's no way this plan could go wrong."

"Don't jinx it," Percy reminded her.

"Oh, yeah."

"Now," Percy said. "We'll carry it out on Monday, but Penny's funeral starts in ten minutes."

Audrey patted his shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss, Percy."

"That's why I'm doing this. To make sure as little people have to feel this way and to make her proud."

Audrey smiled. "She would be proud of you."

Percy smiled back. "I sure hope so."

* * *

Percy hated funerals (didn't everybody?).

Oliver was there, as were many of there former classmates. There wasn't a body; she'd been burned, along with the other dead Muggleborns. The burial was honorary. Only a headstone with no casket beneath it.

"Penelope was a wonderful girl," her father was saying. "She was everything you could ask for in a daughter. Smart, kind, head strong but still polite. Brave. She will never be forgotten."

He stepped down, and everyone clapped, quietly.

"Next," the preacher said. "Percy Weasley."

Some of the people were surprised. Percy and Penny's relationship had been secret. Others knew because they'd seen Percy kiss Penelope outside the Great Hall in his sixth year when she'd been unfrozen. Penny's close friends glared at him; they'd known how badly the relationship had ended, and the things Percy had said.

"For those of you that don't know," Percy said, struggling to speak past the lump in his throat, "Penny was my first and only girlfriend. When I had no one in my life- siblings, classmates... none of them really liked me- Penny was there.

"She was.. my everything, my world. I loved her more than I loved myself.

"But a few years ago, I'd proposed to her. We were to be married in 1996, and she was carrying our baby. But... she lost them, only a week after we found out we were having twins- a boy and a girl. We'd even started discussing names.

"After she lost them, we were grieving. She said some things; I said some things that I can never take back. We broke it off, and I always wanted to apologize, but I'd... I'd back out of it before I'd even reached her front door. You'll never know how much I wish that I'd knocked that night and swallowed my pride and just said that I was- am- sorry.

"Now, I never can."

Percy stepped down, and he was shocked to see that many people were crying after his speech. Even Oliver; Percy hadn't seen him cry since his girlfriend cheated on him in fourth year (Oliver was a player, but he'd really loved her; Percy remembered going up to her the next week. Let's just say she'd been sorry she'd ever messed with Percy Weasley's friend).

Her funeral continued, and as it drew to a close, Percy stood and was about to Apparate back to his flat when he felt a small hand pull on his sleeve.

He turned. It was Penelope's sister, Isabella.

Isabella had only been six when Percy first met her the summer after seventh year. She was fast approaching nine now. Gone were the overly chubby cheeks and uneven blonde hair she'd tried to cut when her parents weren't looking. She still only came to his waist, but she would look just like Penny in a couple years with curly blonde hair held by a red headband. She wore a red dress with a black jacket to block the cold air. Her eyes were crystal blue, just like Penny's.

"Thank you," Isabella said.

"For what?" Percy asked.

"For being Penny's first love," Another voice said.

It was Kristen, Penny's thirteen year old sister. She'd only been ten when Percy last met her, and now, she was taller and was going through her awkward stage. Acne was starting to pop up; she was gangly; her hair was straight and short and growing unevenly. Her eyes were just like Penny's, too.

She looked just like Penny had at thirteen. Percy knew, though, that Kristen would be one of the prettiest girls in school by the time she was fifteen. Just like both of her older sisters...

"Yeah."

Speaking of her...

Tiana was older than Penny by five years, and was now almost twenty-seven. She was tall and curvy with curly blonde hair. She wore a black skirt and a white shirt with a black coat. Her blue eyes were rimmed red from crying over her little sister.

She had a baby of her own now, too. She held a small bundle in her arms; the baby couldn't have been more than a few months old.

"She loved you very much," Tiana told him. "She showed up crying on my doorstep after you two broke it off. She didn't stop crying for weeks, and I hated you for hurting her. But then, I saw you one night. At her flat. You were crying, and... I knew she'd hurt you just as much as you'd hurt her, but neither one of you would apologize."

"Maybe if we had things would be different," Percy said.

She nodded. "Maybe. Penny told me about the time you stood up for her, after someone called her a name. When you came by the house, you were so polite and sweet and Isabella and everyone else in the family loved you. My dad even said that he couldn't ask for a better soon to be son in law."

"Penny wanted me to give these to you," Kristen said, handing him a tiny journal and a necklace.

Percy examined the necklace. "I gave this to her for her sixteenth birthday," he realized.

Kristen nodded. "She knew they would take it when she arrived at the Ministry; she didn't want that."

"She also wanted to say that she loved you," Isabella added.

Percy nodded. "Thank you. For forgiving me."

Tiana nodded. "It was the least we could do after you made Penny so happy."

Percy smiled at them. "Goodbye," he said before Apparating away.

Percy changed into a Muggle T-shirt and sleep pants when he got home before sitting on the sofa and reading from the journal.

Dear Percy,

I'm not sure if these letters will ever reach you, or if I want them too. I just want you to know that... I'm sorry for everything I said. I'm sorry I called you an emotionless moron, an ambitious bastard, and so much more.

Grieving parents don't always stay together; I was hoping we'd be an exception, but the loss of our little boy and girl was just too much.

Before we lost them, I wanted to ask you about some names.

Crystal, because that's what you always called me because of my eyes.

Asher, meaning one who is blessed.

They'll never take their first steps or get married or have kids. I'll never even hold my babies, Percy.

You would've been a great father, and someday, I know you will. Somebody will call you Daddy one day, Percy, but I have a feeling they won't be calling me Mommy.

I love you, my brave knight.

-Penny

Percy started sobbing; he couldn't read anymore tonight. He was in tears after the first letter; how would he feel after the last?

He put the journal away and crawled into bed.

He should've known that after the day he'd had, nightmares would haunt him.

* * *

 _ **The first part he'd seen before; he'd had the same nightmare for months after they'd lost the babies.**_

 _ **He was standing beside Penelope as she lay in the hospital bed, blood coating her gown and the sheets.**_

 _ **"Aw, Penny, honey, it's over, " Percy whispered to her. "Penny? Penny!"**_

 _ **She was completely still, her blue eyes wide open and filled with blood, as though the crimson was her tears.**_

 _ **"PENNY!"**_

 _ **"Mr. Weasley," a nurse said, coming over with another. They both held objects wrapped in blankets, one blue, one pink.**_

 _ **"Meet your children."**_

 _ **They showed him the babies, both deformed and covered in sticky blood. The girl had her eyes wide open, and they were identical to Penny's empty blue eyes. They'd been almost four months along.**_

 _ **"NO!"**_

 _The dream changed._

 _"Damn it, Weasley, tell me who the other Freedom Fighters are!"_

 _"Never..." Percy spat out blood._

 _The man walked into his hazy vision. He was tall, but his face was covered by a death eater mask._

 _"TELL ME!"_

 _"No!" Percy yelled, forcing his weak voice to be stronger._

 _"Crucio!" Percy didn't even have the strength to scream._

 _"Are you going to tell me now?"_

 _Percy shook his head. "You won't hurt my friends so long as I'm alive."_

 _"I know how to make you talk," the man growled. "Get in here!"_

 _The door opened, and three men stepped in. They raised their wands, a curse on all of their lips._

 _Aw, fuck._

* * *

Percy woke up, breathing hard.

That dream was the most vivid he'd had in a while.

A wand poked at his throat.

"Don't make a sound, or I will kill you."

Aw, fuck.

* * *

 _I don't know what happened with the hologram thing; I was either very tired or in a sci-fi mood when I wrote it. Do you think the song's fitting (Demons by Imagine Dragons)?_

 _I also should have warned you, but this story will feature a lot of BAMF Percy because let's face it, he needs one of those stories. He doesn't have a whole bunch of them._

 _Thanks for reading! And sorry, the chapter turned out so dark, although I still think it was pretty interesting (not as interesting as the chapter about their plan will be, though. *evil laugh*)._


	4. Make A Man Out of You

_I'm back! I've left you in suspense for too long, and I am terribly sorry._

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

* * *

 _Be a man_  
 _We must be swift as the coursing river_  
 _Be a man_  
 _With all the force of a great typhoon_  
 _Be a man_  
 _With all the strength of a raging fire_  
 _Mysterious as the dark side of the moon_

-"Make a Man Out of You" from Mulan

* * *

Percy did the first thing that came to mind.

He kicked. Hard.

"Oh, shi-"

The man's curse was cut off when Percy reached for his wand, only to find it missing; damn, the bastard must've taken it. Therefore, the redhead grabbed the closest thing that could qualify as a weapon: a lamp.

He promptly smashed it over the guy's head, and the guy crumpled to the carpet.

Leaping over the attacker, Percy raced to the door and flicked on the light switch, and the shadows vanished, replaced by a bright light that hurt Percy's eyes.

He didn't know the guy. Tall and lean, he looked to be about Percy's age with shaggy brown hair that desperately needed to be cut. In his Muggle attire- jeans and some kind of concert shirt- there really wasn't anything different about him. No Death Eater mask. No Dark Mark. No knife or gun or any weapon except for his and Percy's wands.

Percy swiped both of the wands from the guy's hands before using his own wand to tie him up.

"Renervate," Percy chanted, waving his wand.

The man's eyes fluttered open, and he stared at Percy.

"You're a lot better than I thought you were."

Percy squinted. "Excuse me? You broke into my flat. Now, start talking, or I will immediately call the Aurors."

"No need for that," the guy told him. "I'm Adam, Adam Taylor. I'm here with a proposal."

"And you attacked me in my sleep for what reason?"

"I had to make sure you were the right man for the job. The point is... my girlfriend was one of the Muggleborns you rescued. Before she was taken into custody, she and I started to gather forces that were willing to go against the Ministry and bring down their so called government.

"She contacted me, and don't worry, we used so many security spells on that one conversation, _Dumbledore_ wouldn't have been able to break through them. We want to combine forces."

"What?" Percy demanded. "Combine forces?"

"Yes," said Adam. "We have about a dozen people, and we will combine forces with you and any others you have. Strength in numbers. All of us have agreed that we need people like you on this team."

Percy nodded. "Okay, I'm following you. How do you know these people are loyal to this cause?"

"Checked all their forearms, all their wands. We even used Vertiserum to ensure that they were loyal."

Percy stared at him. "Alright. Can you name all of them?"

"Of course. Myself, Hazel Garnet, Nicole Shamburge, Lucas Tilton, Jake Backas, Ethan Willis, Marie Towns, Lilian Brillis, Simon Gardener, William Clayton, Maggie Shade, and Ashley Barran."

Percy nodded. "Okay... now, I want a full explanation on why you attacked me. Not the vague sentence you gave me. An actual explanation."

"Alright. Some of them were skeptical on how powerful you were and if you were a good addition. To prove it, Hazel and I came up with a plan. I would sneak in-"

"How'd you get in?"

"I used the window."

"I'm on the sixth floor!"

"I levitated myself."

"Now, I have to put security charms on that," Percy muttered. "Anyway, continue."

"And I would pretend to be an enemy and attack you. Your reaction would be the deciding factor, and I say you passed. That hurt!"

Percy knelt in front of him and looked in the eye.

The red haired wizard was naturally gifted in Legillimency and Occlumenecy; Dumbeldore himself had complimented him when this gift was discovered in his first year after he accidentally read another person's mind. Whoops.

Memories flashed before his eyes, memories that were not his own.

 _Adam talking with a girl he recognized to be one of the Muggleborns he'd rescued..._

 _A group of ten people standing before Adam and the girl in some kind of hidden room. Percy could tell no one was getting in here; one of the doors had more locks than Percy had fingers, and he was sure there were charms, too..._

 _Adam and a girl he knew to be Maggie Shade (she was a Ravenclaw in his year) arguing..._

 _"Fine," Adam said. "I'll go through with the crazy plan, but I'd better not get killed."_

 _"Thank you," Maggie responded._

Percy backed out of Adam's mind and waved his wand, the ropes falling to the ground.

"Alright, Adam. I will discuss this with Oliver and Audrey, my partners, and I will get back to you tomorrow. Do you have a phone?"

Adam nodded, standing and cradling his head. He rattled off the phone number, and Percy knew he'd remember it; after studying and memorizing all those years in school, Percy had quite a good memory. Probably boarding on photographic.

"I'll let you out," Percy assured him. "You don't have to use the window again."

"Thank you," Adam sighed. "I'm terrified of heights, and I still let Hazel and Maggie convince me to go through with the plan."

Percy showed Adam the door, and even though he believed Adam, he added extra charms to the door.

He also spent the next hour putting charms on the window. If Adam could get in, others could too.

* * *

Percy would be lying if he said he wasn't weary of Adam. Can you blame him? I mean, the dude broke into his flat, attacked him, and then asked Percy to 'join forces' with him. Anyone would be a little freaked out!

"I say go for it," Oliver input with a shrug.

Audrey nodded. "I agree. But we need to stay on our toes. Until we know for sure we can trust these guys, we keep our wand and at least one extra weapon on us at all times. Really, we should be doing that anyway."

Percy nodded. "I already do."

He took out his extra wand (stowed in an extra pocket in his robes that was hidden) and his pocket knife.

"How do you carry that into the Ministry?" Oliver asked, curiously. "You think they wouldn't allow knives."

Percy smirked. "They don't. And a great magician never reveals their secrets."

Oliver laughed. "Good point. Anyway, I have two weapons: my wand and my fists."

Audrey rolled her eyes. "I meant keep an extra weapon that is not a body part."

He shrugged. "Hey. I can work with what I got. All of us can. I mean, Percy knocked out a guy with a lamp."

Audrey shrugged. "Very good point. Still. Extra precautions."

Percy nodded. "You're right. But, back on topic, should I get back to Adam to tell him you agree?"

Oliver and Audrey nodded, and Percy withdrew his cell phone from his pocket, dialling the number Adam had given him.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Adam. This is Percy Weasley. We agree to your proposal."

"Great. Meet me in front of Jorgan's."

"The one on Hazleton?"

"Yes."

"Thank you. We'll be there soon."

"Let's do this," Audrey muttered after Percy hung up.

* * *

Jorgan's was a less popular coffee shop; Percy often picked up a cup (or two, depending on how late he worked the night before) on the way to the Ministry since it was right down the street.

Adam and another girl (Percy believed it was Ashley; she'd been a seventh year when he was a first year) waited for them outside.

They didn't say anything, and as soon as Adam and Ashley noticed them coming, they turned on their heels and started walking down the side walk.

"What was that about?" Oliver asked, quietly.

"They want us to follow them," Percy whispered back. "We're right down the street from the Ministry. They don't want anyone to see us walking together; we've never hung out before, so it'd be suspicious."

"Oh."

"Okay. Go."

The trio followed their new allies down the street until they turned into an alleyway. With one last glance over his shoulder, Percy ducked into the shadows and the others followed.

Adam and Ashley awaited them, smiling as Ashley pointed her wand at them.

Audrey whipped her wand out just as fast, but the spell Ashley sent their way didn't hurt them at all. Colors whipped around them, almost like auras.

"What is that?" Oliver demanded.

"Your magical signature," she responded. "Just so we know you are who you say you are. Sorry about the random wand pointing. Procedure. "

Percy nodded. "Clever spell."

"Thanks. No magical signature is identical to another, and you can't fake one. It's impossible. Now, come on before somebody sees us."

Ashley tapped her wand on the wall in what appeared to be a complex pattern, but Percy recognized it.

"Morse code," he realized. "My dad taught us when he found out Muggles used it," he told Oliver and Audrey when they looked at him weirdly.

"Is there anything you don't know?" Oliver asked.

"Uh... my comedy is awful, as are my social skills."

"Oh, yeah," Oliver laughed. "Your social skills are pathetic."

"So are yours."

"Not as badly as yours though."

Audrey giggled. "Anyway, now that we're done discussing your pathetic social skills, what does the Morse code say?"

"Freedom Fighters," Percy replied. "Is that what you call yourselves?"

Ashley nodded. "The code changes every week. Nobody's figured it out yet, but you can't be too careful."

Adam nodded before tapping his wand once more on the wall.

The wall slid apart, splitting in half like disguised double doors. There were no stairs, no ropes, no metal poles to slide down.

"There's a net at the bottom," Adam responded to their perplexed expressions. "I'll go first."

He leaped off the ground and plummeted; several seconds passed before his voice shouted from several meters below.

"I'm not dead!"

"I thought he was afraid of heights," Percy asked Ashley.

"He is. The first time we did this, his girlfriend had to push him."

"Oh."

"Who's next?" Ashley asked.

Oliver shrugged before stepping into the empty air without a second thought.

"Quidditch players," Audrey muttered. "Too confident for their own good."

Percy laughed. "They're confident with heights. They're not so confident on the ground."

"Is that a clever way to say Oliver's clumsy?"

"Yes."

"Okay. You're next, brainiac."

Percy took a deep breath before stepping through the doorway.

He fell down, down, down until he finally felt netting beneath his back.

"I think I left my stomach up there," he mumbled as Oliver helped him down.

Oliver laughed. "Still got that fear of heights?"

"I'm not scared of heights. I'm scared of falling and breaking all my bones."

"And that's why you never played Quidditch."

"Exactly."

Audrey hit the net next, and Percy helped her stand; no sooner had she stumbled to her feet did Ashley hit the net.

"Follow me, newcomers," Adam laughed before leading them through a brick hallway lit by torches that was probably straight out of the medieval times.

"The corridor's been here for centuries," Ashley responded to their amazed looks. "Adam's dad, who works at the store above here, discovered it when he accidentally bumped into a rune on the wall in the break room. Supposedly, the founders of Hogwarts built this place after some kind of Dark Wizard attacked the school. In times of crisis, they would flee the school through the floo network, appear in the building above, and come down here to hide until it was safe."

"Why didn't they pick a location closer to the school?" Percy asked.

"They wanted to get the kids far away from the school. They stopped using this place when the classes got too large to transport all of them."

"It's kind of creepy," Audrey muttered.

"Don't worry. We've upgraded the next area," Adam chuckled, and to prove his point, he opened the double doors before them to reveal a much more modern hallway.

There were windows lining either side of them that looked into training rooms. Some focused on physical strength, such as physical combat with one another and practicing on dummies. Others showed people dueling with wands, and some were simply sitting at a table, glaring at an object, or standing across the room from a dummy with no wand.

"Wand less magic," Adam told them after seeing their expressions.

"This is our training," Ashley explained. "Obviously. But it comes in handy. We have a room dedicated to researching old tactics and ancient magic and such. We have a higher security room to practice that; we don't want anyone getting too injured by using magic they've never used before. Anyway, the training comes in handy; one of our guys lost his wand in a battle and had to resort to physical tactics. Knocked the guy out and managed to find his wand and return to the battle."

"Wow," Oliver mumbled. "This is amazing."

Adam smiled. "Well, when you're going against the Ministry, you have to be swift as the coursing river-"

"With all the force of a great typhoon-" Ashley continued.

"And the strength of a raging fire-"

"Mysterious as the dark side of the moon, " Ashley finished.

A few moments of stunned silence.

"Is that from Mulan?" Oliver suddenly asked.

"Yes," Adam replied. "And we're going to make a man out of you."

"Oi!" Audrey and Ashley shouted.

"Sorry!" Adam squeaked. "We'll make a _warrior_ out of you."

"Better."

"Thank you."

"Lesson learned," Percy whispered to Oliver. "Don't tick them off."

Oliver simply nodded.

* * *

 _Hello, everyone. Just so you know, in my mind, the freedom fighters got the idea of this training from the DA (I'm sure one of them participated in it before graduating)_

 _Thanks for reading. Tell me what you think! Next chapter is the battle at the Ministry and saving those Muggleborns. See you then._


	5. That's How A Superhero Learns To Fly

_THE WAIT IS OVER! I know it was a long time, and I apologize, but I'm back now._

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

* * *

 _Cause he's stronger than you know_

 _A heart of steel starts to grow_

 _When you've been fighting for it all your life_

 _You've been struggling to make things right_

 _That's how a superhero learns to fly_

 _(Every day, every hour, turn that pain into power)_

-"Superheroes" by The Script

* * *

Percy hadn't felt so nervous in a long time. He'd always been a spazz at school, and he'd had quite a lot of panic attacks since he started Hogwarts, but nothing compared to the here and now. He was glad he'd taken a calming draught this morning, or he would've passed out from oxygen deprivation long ago.

The plan was fairly simple. Percy had given the Freedom Fighters port keys that would take them straight to the Ministry, and he had one of his own that would transport them to the Atrium. At six past eight, everyone would pop in using the port keys and wearing cloaks; they were sky blue and the color had been used to symbolize the Freedom Fighters.

Speaking of that, Percy had discovered that the Freedom Fighters had been doing other things, but this attack would put them in the Prophet. It would take the focus off of the Muggleborns for the most part, but it would also put the spotlight on the Freedom Fighters, so it was a win lose situation. If any of them were caught, they'd be tortured, interrogated, and eventually killed.

Back to the plan, while a battle started, Audrey would lead the Muggleborns to the Floo network, taking them first to an abandoned warehouse before giving them their wands and having them apparate to Safe House 2. The other Freedom Fighters would distract others with the battle, and Oliver and Percy would cover Audrey.

In theory, easy. In practice, not so much.

Percy pulled his collar up to hide the beads of sweat trickling down his neck. He walked past several people on the way to the designated meeting spot, and no one looked his way once, but Percy felt like everyone was staring at him.

Percy clicked his tongue, pressing it against the roof of his mouth; it was a nervous habit he'd had since... well, since he could remember. His hand fiddled with the scarlet amulet around his neck; his father had given an amulet to each of his three eldest children during the first war. He said it would always protect them, but whether that was true or not, Percy never found out. Still, it offered him a sense of comfort.

The night he walked out on the family, he'd thrown it down on the floor of his new flat and was about to smash it underfoot when he changed his mind.

That was when he realized how badly he'd overreacted, but he was too prideful to apologize.

If only he could go back in time, grab his past self by the shoulders, and shake him while yelling for him to get his head out of his pants and see that there are more important things in life than pride and dignity. And if he didn't, well, he'd end up spending Christmas alone in a cold flat; he wouldn't hear a happy birthday from anyone. He'd be friendless, family-less, and over all, alone.

That's one of the reasons he was doing all of this. He needed to make things right, and he wasn't sure how. Maybe if he showed his family that he wasn't a complete prat, maybe- just maybe- they'd take him back after this whole war was over. Maybe if he showed everyone who always thought that he was a stuck up git who cared more about rules than other people, including his family and friends, that he wasn't all bad… maybe he could make things right. Be a better person. Have a more open heart.

He just wanted to make everything right, and helping the innocent Muggleborns was as good a place as any to start.

Percy shook himself out of his thoughts and continued walking.

He stood beside a supply closet and looked back and forth to ensure no one was nearby before ducking inside, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket.

Be ready, he texted to Audrey. Any minute now.

He ducked back outside and strolled down the hall, his footsteps moving a bit faster and with more purpose (like how he usually walked); as soon as he reached the designated meeting spot (an abandoned office that people forgot existed, due to it having not been used since... well, since before Percy's dad joined the Ministry), he locked the door and pulled out his phone.

Now, Percy texted to all the Freedom Fighters.

A few seconds passed, and then, a bright light flashed (well, multiple lights, but there were so many, it just looked like one blinding light that left Percy seeing spots); all of the Freedom Fights tumbled to the floor and scrambled to their feet.

Percy turned to Adam, waiting for orders.

Adam smiled. "Don't look at me. You and Audrey are in charge of this operation."

"We are?" Audrey squeaked, having not expected that.

"It was your plan," Hazel pointed. "It only makes sense that you take the lead."

Percy turned to Audrey, and she nodded in his direction, motioning for him to speak first.

"All right," he announced. "I have a Port Key that will take us all straight to the Atrium."

"I thought you couldn't use Port Keys in the Atrium?" Jake said, tilting his head in confusion.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Their 'security' spells and wards were so juvenile, my younger brothers could've broken them. When they were seven," he added. "Anyway, once we're there, all of you will distract the guards and everyone else, for that matter, with battle."

Audrey stepped up. "You will know when to Port Key out with these," she said, holding up a collection of...

"Necklaces?" Nicole questioned. "How are those going to help?"

"They heat up when it's time to come back to a meeting spot, and they become unbearably hot when a member is in extreme danger. Such as being captured or tortured." Audrey swallowed. "I will lead the Muggleborns to a safe spot and Port Key them to the abandoned warehouse."

"Oliver and I will cover her," Percy continued. "After she has given the Muggleborns their wands and they have safely Apparated to Safe House 2, she'll call us back. Everyone understand the plan?"

The Freedom Fighters nodded.

"Good," Percy said as Audrey began handing out the necklaces. He cradled the one she'd given him; it was a small owl, and he smiled when he noticed she'd designed it with designs around the eyes that looked like his glasses. He placed it around his neck and looked at his comrades, placing the book in his hands on the table and opening it (to have more room for all of their hands to be on the book).

He looked from Audrey to Oliver and then back at the rest of the Freedom Fighters. Audrey handed him his cloak (she'd kept it until she arrived at the Ministry since Percy couldn't be seen with the cloak of a Freedom Fighter, especially after the battle), and Percy pulled it on, shielding his clothes with the fabric. He pulled his hood up, his face hidden by the hood, and watched as his allies did the same with their own cloaks.

"Let's do this," he said, placing his fingertips on the page. Several other hands joined his, and they were lifted off the floor.

Percy took one last glance at Oliver and Audrey, his two friends, and then, in a flash of light, they fell. Their feet hit the floor of the Atrium, surprising those inside it, and spells immediately began to fly.

Percy was afraid he'd lose Audrey and Oliver in the commotion, but he didn't have to worry. Audrey grabbed his hand, and Percy placed his own hand on Oliver's shoulder. Like a chain of people, they wove through the crowds. Percy was glad that he didn't have to use his hologram in this fight; more people rushed into the Atrium, adding to the chaos. No one would notice his absence admist this absolute mayhem.

That was good. If Percy had learned one thing from Fred and George, it was that chaos was the best distraction.

Audrey knelt beside the Muggleborns, who had been abandoned on the bench, chained up like animals and left in the dark about what was going on. They flinched when Audrey came near them, but grins stretched across their grimy, worn faces as she cast a spell, and their chains clattered to the ground.

"Everyone, follow her," Percy instructed, lowering his voice to disguise it. "Try not to get separated."

The Muggleborns clustered together, sticking as close to Audrey as possible. Percy stood on the left side, Oliver on the right, deflecting any curses or spells that came their way. If anyone noticed the Muggleborns escaping, they didn't say anything. Percy's pretty sure at least a few people noticed, but they either wanted the Muggleborns to escape or were distracted by dueling someone before they could report it or stop it.

The Muggleborns, Audrey, Oliver, and Percy slipped out of the Atrium and raced through the mostly empty halls to the abandoned office. Percy and Oliver watched from the doorway as she placed a notebook on the table and everyone touched it. Once the group disappeared, Percy and Oliver turned around and dashed back towards the battle.

If it were mayhem before... well, Percy didn't think there was a word to describe what it was now. People had resorted to abandoning magic all together and were going after people with their fists. Oliver and Percy spread out, grabbing as many Freedom Fighters as they could and informing them to start heading for the middle of the room. After telling every Freedom Fighter, Percy and Oliver rushed towards the center of the Atrium, seeing their comrades do the same.

"GRAB THEM!" Umbridge roared from somewhere in the crowded room, but it was too late. The fourteen of them had reached the center of the room, and after Oliver did a speedy head count, they placed their hands on the book Percy held out. They started to rise just as the Minister reached them; his hand grabbed the back of Lillian's cloak, and she yelped while Simon kicked the Minister away. Even with the cloak shielding his face, Percy could imagine the smirk Simon wore as the Minister toppled to the floor, muttering in a bewildered daze.

Their feet hit the floor of the Freedom Fighters headquarters, and Percy glanced around to see Audrey already there, having arrived a few moments before them.

"We did it," Ethan gaped. He obviously hadn't expected their mission to get so well. Honestly, Percy hadn't either.

But they weren't out of the woods yet.

"Help!" Hazel cried, and Percy turned to see her struggling to hold up Adam, who was clutching his hand over his heavily bleeding side.

Marie, Audrey, and Percy bolted forward, and the three of them examined the wound.

It was deep but short, more like a stab wound than a cut, and a lot of blood had poured out of it, staining Adam's shirt and entire side red.

"Oliver," Percy barked. "Get me bandages, towels, and disinfectant. Nicole, run into the closet where we keep any potions ingredients. Get me Dry Root and Carsten Leaves. Lucas, I need a bowl of water. Go."

Everyone moved out.

Oliver returned first, and Percy pressed one of the towels against the wound, flinching when Adam cried out in pain and nearly crushed Hazel's fingers as he clenched her hand. Hazel didn't complain, though; seeing her boyfriend in such a state was probably more painful than the crushing grip on her hand.

Percy dipped a towel in the water and cleaned the blood from Adam's side. Without the excessive amount of crimson, the wound didn't look nearly as horrifying, but it was still frightening to see.

Nicole returned last, handing him the ingredients, and Percy handed them to Audrey.

"Audrey, smash these up as much as you can. Maria, hand me that pencil," Percy said, pointing to a nearby table, and she did so, puzzled, but she didn't ask.

Percy transfigured the pencil into a syringe; Audrey handed him a small bowl, which she summoned from a nearby room, that was filled with the ground up potions ingredients. Percy poured disinfectant into the pale green dust, mixing them together, before filling the syringe with the mixture.

"This is going to hurt, okay?" Percy told Adam. "But it will prevent infection and numb the pain after a few minutes."

Adam nodded, and Percy pushed the syringe into the skin as close to the wound as he dared. Adam cried out before the expression of agony on his face began to gradually fade as the numbing set in.

"How did you know how to do that?" Audrey demanded, quietly, gesturing to the wound as Percy wrapped Adam's torso in bandages.

"Penny used to be a Healer; she taught me some things," Percy said. "I'm the reason she knows how to do paperwork, and she's the reason I know how to do first aid..." Percy trailed off as he remembered the funeral.

"Percy, I'm sorry about Penny," Audrey whispered.

Percy nodded. "Everyone's always sorry. It's not their fault Penny died; it's not their fault that..." Percy stopped speaking. He'd never told anyone about the babies, except for those at the funeral. Even Oliver hadn't known until Percy gave his speech at the funeral.

Percy nodded and walked away, leaving Audrey to wonder what he had been about to say.

"He was going to mention his kids."

Audrey turned to see Oliver standing beside her.

"What?" Audrey asked.

"Don't tell Percy I told you, but you need to know," Oliver informed her. "Penny was pregnant a few years ago. They were having twins." Oliver swallowed. "She miscarried. Percy never told anyone about the kids. I didn't even know until Penny's funeral."

Audrey blinked. "Wow."

Oliver nodded. "Yeah."

Audrey stared at Percy as he washed the blood off of his hands.

She didn't know how, but she promised herself that she would find a way to help Percy. After all, it isn't healthy to bottle everything up, like Percy was doing.

Audrey wasn't sure when Percy would be ready, but she promised herself that when Percy was ready to talk, she would be there.

* * *

 _That was chapter 5. I really hope there is not another wait as long as that one. I'm pretty sure there won't be because this is where the story starts to kick off, and I have a lot of ideas for the story (I just need to organize them)._

 _Also, Dry Root and Carsten Leaves were just potions ingredients I invented that have properties that prevent infection and numb the pain and are usually used in Wizarding hospitals._

 _Thanks for reading!_


	6. A Hero Lies In You

_Hello, everyone!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing._**

* * *

 _And then a hero comes along_  
 _With the strength to carry on_  
 _And you cast your fears aside_  
 _And you know you can survive_  
 _So when you feel like hope is gone_  
 _Look inside you and be strong_  
 _And you'll finally see the truth_  
 _That a hero lies in you_

-"Hero" by Mariah Carey

* * *

Percy Apparated back into his office seconds before the door opened (literally seconds. Talk about a close call). Dolores Umbridge stormed into the room, followed by the Minister.

"Mrs. Umbridge, Mr. Minister, what can I do for you?" Percy asked, trying to look as casual as possible. That wasn't hard because Percy was a master at hiding his emotions.

"Oh, Percy- may I call you Percy?" Umbridge questioned.

"You may," Percy agree, although he was thinking _No, you may not. That makes me very uncomfortable._

"I'm sure you've heard of the attack and the Muggleborns escaping," Umbridge snarled, although her anger (thankfully) didn't seem to be directed at Percy in particular.

Percy sighed. "Of course I have. I'm sure all of the Wizarding World knows by now. If we ever find these people, I'll take them to Azkaban myself."

"Forget Azkaban! More like the Dementors," the Minister muttered.

Percy swallowed, trying to disguise his fear. "Exactly," he told them. "Do we even know who they are?"

"One of them left this," Umbridge growled, handing him a square piece of paper, colored the same shade of blue as their cloaks.

Percy swallowed a grin. That had been Oliver's idea. The Quidditch player had thought that the cloaks obviously meant they were a group, and since they'd land themselves in the papers one way or the other, he decided to give the Ministry a name to go with the mysterious heroes.

"Freedom Fighters," he read, pretending to be skeptical. "They're fighting for the freedom of the Mudbloods, obviously. Probably a group of blood traitors that don't realize that it's better for everyone if those magic stealers are locked up."

It physically pained Percy to say these things, but if he wanted to stay under the radar, he needed to act exactly like the rest of the prejudiced people he was surrounded by.

Umbridge nodded. "Unfortunately, this is going to require a lot of paperwork. You are one of the only people we trust enough to preform the tasks associated with this escape. Some of these _Freedom Fighters_ ," she spat, as though the two words were poison in her mouth, "might be hidden in the Ministry, and we can't take any chances."

Percy puffed up with pride (non-existent pride. He was prideful, but he wouldn't even think of being prideful of killing and imprisoning innocent people). "Thank you, Ms. Umbridge. Luckily, paperwork is what I do best."

She grinned as she headed for the door, the Minister ahead of her.

"Thank you, Percy. I'm happy to see that there are still some trustworthy and intelligent people in the Ministry. Oh, and please, call me Dolores."

Once again, Percy thought. _No, thank you. That makes me very uncomfortable._

As soon as the door shut behind them, Percy cast a silencing spell on the door before bursting out into laughter.

Oh, if they only knew…

* * *

Percy knocked on the door of Audrey's house.

"Who is it?" she hissed through the small opening door that was just below eye level for Percy, and she risked a peak through it.

"Owl," he replied, holding his necklace up for her to see.

She sighed in relief and opened the door, allowing him to step inside.

"Thank goodness. Is anyone suspicious of you?" she asked.

"Not at all," Percy replied. "In fact, Umbridge trusted me to do the paperwork regarding the escaped Muggleborns and said I was one of the few she trusted enough to do it. How are the Muggleborns?"

"Safe," Audrey answered. "I'm assuming you're here to talk about our next mission. I already have one in mind. Adam and I have already talked it over and have decided that you and I should take the lead on it."

Audrey seated herself at her kitchen table, and Percy sat across from her.

"What is it?" he asked, curiously.

"Are you good with kids?" she asked, purposely avoiding his question.

He frowned. "For the most part. I helped raise four younger siblings."

She smiled. "Good. The Muggleborns informed us that there are still children hidden somewhere in the Ministry. Obviously, the Minister and Umbridge and the few others in on it didn't want the whole world to know about the children. For a lot of people, even Muggleborns and Muggle haters, killing, torturing, and imprisoning children would've been a deal breaker. That's why the kids are kept in the lowest part of the Ministry, where no one ever goes, and it is going to be extremely hard to get them out. There's also another problem: the kids have trackers implanted into them, so we can't take them to a Safe House. We need to get them out of the country entirely, where the Ministry can't touch them."

"Where will we take them?" Percy asked.

"France," Audrey answered. "I'm still working on living arrangements for all the kids, but the minute they step over the border of England, Umbridge, the Ministry, and, as of now, You Know Who can't touch them."

"And how do we plan to go about this?"

"It is your job to get them out of the Ministry. There's nine kids in all. Once we get them out of the Ministry, I will take them to a temporary Safe House. They will eventually be tracked, but it will take some time for the Ministry to do that. We probably have until sundown before they're tracked. The kids' trackers mean that they can't be Apparated or Port Keyed either. They need to be transported without magic. While we can't remove the Trackers, Hazel does have a way to alter them. That would mean their Trackers would display them to be ten miles away from where they actually are. It isn't a huge window, but it's better than nothing.

"At sundown, the kids will be divided. We've already decided who will go with who. I get one kid; Oliver gets a toddler; Adam has a twelve year old. Hazel will take the twins. Nicole has a five year old and her baby brother. You have two sisters- one is eight, and one is ten. We'll each go in different directions."

Audrey placed a paper on the table that displayed multiple X's.

"These X's are safe houses. When one of us cannot be with the kids, they will stay in one of these locations. Unfortunately, they will not be able to stay in one place too long, no longer than a few hours. That's what makes your job in particular so hard. You'll need to find a way to bounce back and forth between the Ministry and the sisters without looking suspicious. Still, one step at a time.

"First of all, how are we going to get them out of the Ministry without looking suspicious?"

Percy grinned. "I have an idea…"

* * *

Percy glanced at his office door to make sure it remained shut before scribbling down a note and placing it on his desk in case anyone decided to pop in while he was absent (which he doubted anyone would).

 _I've gone on my lunch break. Come back around 2 pm. -Percy Weasley_

Percy took another glance at the door before leaning against the wall furthest from the door, and he tapped his wand against it fifteen times before lightly kicking the wall.

The wall disappeared, and Percy was left staring at a doorway and a tunnel. Audrey was behind the wall, blinking at the rapid appearance of a doorway in shock.

Percy slipped into the tunnel and tapped his wand three times on the right side of the doorway before repeating the action on the left side and above the doorway. The doorway disappeared, and Percy quickly cast a Lumos spell.

"What the…" Audrey muttered, pointed to the now blank wall. "Okay, I was a little weirded out when you lead me into the tunnels through a cellar door in that restaurant down the block, but now… what on earth just happened?"

"In the war against Grindelwald, the Minister had these escape tunnels built in case the Ministry was ever attacked. Over time, they were forgotten about. I discovered them shortly after I got my first job at the Ministry."

"Is there anything you _don't_ know?" Audrey asked as they started walking in the direction of the place where the children were being kept.

Percy paused. "I do not understand a lot of social things, and I was horrible a Divination. I managed to get an O, but that was because I made up most of my dreams since I could never remember my real ones. Oh, and according to Oliver, I don't know how to lighten up, 'let loose' (whatever that means), or take care of myself."

Audrey pursed her lips, wondering if Percy was an underrated genius (a real life genius, like above gifted on the scale on that IQ test Audrey had had to take when she was younger) and if he possibly had undiagnosed Asperger's Syndrome (he did display a lot of symptoms of it). But she shrugged it off; asking probably wouldn't give her as good an answer as watching his behavior would. She knew he was smart, but over time, she might discover if he was an actual genius, and as time passed, she'd hopefully learn whether it was Asperger's, social awkwardness, or just Percy's personality. In this case, observing would probably get her farther than outright asking him.

They walked in silence for a few moments before Percy finally stopped, and he shined his light near the floor… or where the floor should be. All Audrey saw was a black hole, barely big enough for a single person.

"There aren't any stairs in the tunnels. There are some slopes that you can walk down to arrive at the next floor, but this is faster and easier because navigating those slopes are hard."

"Speaking from experience?" Audrey asked with a raised eyebrow.

Percy nodded. "After I discovered these, I started exploring them when I was bored. What? I'm here almost all day everyday. You didn't think I worked _all_ the time, did you?"

Audrey laughed.

"There was that one time I took a wrong turn and wound up in my dad's office. I scared the life out of him. I don't think he ever figured out where I came from," Percy whispered.

Audrey chuckled again before glancing into the hole in the ground.

"So… how do we get down?" she asked.

"Easy. Levitate," Percy answered. "Unless you want to go the old fashioned way…" he added, shining his lit wand tip upon a rope trailing deeper into the hole.

"Levitating, it is!" Audrey exclaimed.

Percy cast Wingardium Leviosa and stepped over the hole. He levitate above the empty air.

"Just keep descending until your feet hit the ground. We're going to the lowest floor," he told her before beginning his descent. Audrey followed a minute or so later.

They floated down the tube or hole or whatever it was in silence, and Audrey could hear voices and noises coming from all around her, sounds that pierced the walls from the other side of the walls of the tunnels. These tunnels were rather amazing; Audrey mentally congratulated and thanked the person that built them. They were ingenious and useful and an all around good idea for an escape plan.

After several minutes, Audrey's feet touched the ground, and Percy lead her through a narrow tunnel. She coughed as dust wiggled its way into her lungs, and she brushed aside some cob webs.

"Why is this one so much dustier and dirtier than the others?" she asked.

"I cleaned up most of the other ones while I was exploring," Percy muttered to her. "I've never explored this one."

Percy suddenly wheezed, and Audrey watched as he withdrew an inhaler from his pocket and puffed the medicine into his mouth.

She frowned. "You have asthma?"

He nodded. "I've had it since I was four. After I turned seven, I didn't have any symptoms until I was sixteen when Oliver convinced me to play Quidditch with him. The exercise triggered an asthma attack, and ever since then, it acts up from time to time."

Audrey nodded. "I see."

She watched as Percy crept down the hall and came to a dead end.

She was about to ask him if they'd gotten lost when he held up a single finger to tell her to be quiet and beckoned for her to lean her ear against the wall, which she did, perplexed.

That's when she heard it: crying, sniffling, a baby wailing, and other small, pitiful noises.

Percy cast a quick spell, and Audrey watched as pink lights glowed through the wall. A body heat sensing spell.

"Nine," he murmured. "All kids. No adults."

Audrey nodded in return, and she watched as Percy leaned against the wall, tapped it with his wand fifteen times, and lightly kicked it.

The wall disappeared.

Audrey glanced through the doorway and nearly cried at the sight before her.

There were nine kids inside the room, all seated on a hard bench in a cell like room with only four gray walls and a heavy, undoubtedly locked door.

All of the kids were dirty and shaking from cold in the frigid room. Some of them looked sick, and they were all starving; some had obviously been here longer than others, which was made obvious by their dangerously low weight. They were bruised and cut up and trembling from fear.

The kids huddled together, fearful of the strange people who had just appeared in the room.

Audrey smiled softly at them. "it's okay, kids," she whispered with a brief glance at the door. "We're here to help you."

Audrey held out a hand to the closest kid.

"Let's go, kids. We're breaking you out," Audrey murmured. "You're safe with us. I promise."

Audrey and Percy knew that they would never forget the way the kids' faces brightened up at that simple statement, nor did they want to forget.

* * *

 _The next few chapters will center around this mission because it will be **one** of their biggest missions (and will lead up to a larger part of the plot later on)._

 _Hope you enjoyed the chapter!_ _Thanks for reading! Leave a review!_


	7. It's Time

**_I bet you guys missed me! This story has not be abandoned, I promise. In fact, within the next few months, I will pause all of my other in progress and focus solely on this one. Until then, updates will be random. Not exactly few and far between like they have been or weekly updates. One week, there could be four chapters; or you may go 2 or 3 weeks without any updates. It will be very random._**

 ** _Also, good news! There is finally a set amount of chapters for this story! This story will have 50 chapters total, which means 43 more chapters, I believe (I'm awful at mental math, especially since I'm really tired right now)._**

 ** _Point of view kind of jumps around in this chapter (it wasn't intentional. It just kind of happened), but I think you can still follow it pretty well (good? I don't know, and I'm too tired to care)._**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I only own my OCs (there are too many to list, but basically, I do not own anything you recognize)._**

* * *

 _This road never looked so lonely_

 _This house doesn't burn down slowly_

 _To ashes_

 _To ashes_

 _It's time to begin, isn't it?_

 _I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit_

 _I'm just the same as I was_

 _Now don't you understand_

 _I'm never changing who I am_

-"It's Time" by Imagine Dragons

* * *

The tiny girl's hand trembled in Percy's as he led her and the other kids through the tunnels. Her older sister (only by three years) clung to his side, and a toddler was held in Audrey's arms; Audrey was holding the hands of twin girls while an eight year old clutched her jacket in his tiny hand. A twelve year old lingered a little further behind while making sure to stay close to Audrey; a young girl stayed as close to Percy as she could while Percy held the girl's baby brother, who couldn't be more than a few months old.

An alarm started to blare, muffled only slightly by the thin walls, and some of the children started to cry quietly, startled by the sudden noise. Percy and Audrey jumped out for their skin, and Audrey swallowed, anxiety beginning to creep into her.

"How much farther?" she whispered.

"Only a few minutes," Percy replied before they began to creep forward, moving as silently as ninjas. The children were surprisingly quiet; being held prisoner in the Ministry had probably scared them into a state of being nearly mute. Percy remembered being their age and caught in the crossfire of a war children had no place being involved in; Percy had learned that if you stayed very quiet, the Death Eaters rarely found you. Even after the Bad Men and the scary evil guy that made Mommy cry was gone, Percy refused to speak for months. He just hoped that they'd gotten to the kids before they were past healing.

The two adults and the nine children emerged in the cellar of the small restaurant, and Percy led them up the stairs and out the front door, quietly urging the children to look straight ahead and not look anyone in the eye. The Muggles gave them a lot of weird looks, and Percy didn't blame them: two dusty and grimy adults leading nine bruised and frightened children out of the restaurant after appearing out of… almost no where, he'd give them a lot of weird looks, too.

Percy and Audrey ushered the kids out of the restaurant and speed-walked down the street until they turned a corner and found themselves at the hidden entrance to the Freedom Fighters headquarters. The kids would only be here for a few hours at the most- to clean them up and bandage any injuries, in order to blend in until they reached the Temporary Safe House.

Percy and Audrey looked both ways to make sure no one else was nearby before Audrey hissed the password ( _give me Liberty, or give me death_. It was a quote from an American Muggle, said hundreds of years ago. No one would ever guess it), and the bricks slid aside to form a doorway.

"What?" one of the small girls murmured, obviously wondering where they were going. All she saw was a bunch of darkness and a steep drop that seemed never ending.

"Okay, kids," Percy whispered. "There's a net at the bottom. I'll go down first, and you kids will jump one by one."

"But-" the eight year old boy stammered.

"I will catch you," Percy told them. "We wouldn't have saved you if we were going to hurt you. I will go down first, and I will catch you. I promise."

Percy leaped off of the ledge and fell down, swallowing the scream that bubbled up in his throat; he'd done this a handful times and still abandoned his stomach in the alley he'd just left.

Percy hit the net and rolled off of it, stumbling and trying to ease the dizziness before looking up and waiting for the first child to jump.

Audrey knelt down to look the kids in the eye.

"See? He made it safely," she told the nervous children. "He'll catch you. Who's first?"

The children exchanged glances. They'd just been rescued from the deepest cells (aka torture chambers) in the corrupt and now cruel Ministry; after being Crucio-ed, beaten, tortured, starved, deprived of water and sleep, and enduring hundreds of torture tactics the Death Eaters had come up with for the 'Mudblood' children, they were reluctant to trust anyone, even their saviors.

A seven year old girl clenched her younger sister's hand tighter. This might be their only chance at salvation. The man and woman that had saved them seemed nice and trustworthy, and if there was a chance that safety might exist beyond this intimidating jump and several foot drop… she had to take a chance. For her sister.

The seven year old girl stepped forward and glanced over the nauseating drop. It was so far down, all she could see was darkness and a tiny pin prick of light that was glowing on the tip of the man's wand.

She nodded to her sister, motioning for her to stay put until the older girl called for her, before stepping off of the edge.

She was pretty sure she left what was left of her shrunken stomach at the top as she tumbled through the air, her breath stolen. She wanted to scream; she wanted to thrash in terror, but she was frozen with fear, her lungs begging for air she couldn't seem to find. After surviving the horrors of the Ministry, she was going to die. She was falling to her death, leaving her younger sister behind.

And then it was all over, and she felt the rough material of a net beneath her back as she sucked in her first breath in what felt like several minutes but was probably only a few seconds.

The net moved, and the man gently rolled her off of the net and onto the floor as she stumbled, slightly dizzy.

The man laughed. "The vertigo is probably the worst part," he told her. "What's your name?"

"Janice," she told him.

"Well, Janice, why don't you yell up there so they know you made it safely?" he suggested.

Janice nodded and looked upward at the square of light so far above her. She could barely see a familiar tiny face peering back at her.

"I'm okay!" she called, and not even a second later, her sister jumped and screeched as she fell until she landed in the net and giggled as the fear wore off.

Janice helped her four year old sister to her feet and glanced at the man.

"This is my younger sister, Jennifer. But everyone calls her Jenny."

The nice man shook her younger sister's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Janice and Jenny," he smiled, comfortingly, before turning to help the next child that landed, the twelve year old boy.

After all of the kids and the woman had arrived at the bottom of the terrifying and yet thrilling fall, the adults led the children down a bleak hallway, lit with fluorescent lights that blinded the kids (who had been kept in dimly lit rooms at the Ministry for months before being led through dark tunnels and arriving outside to see a cloudy day), and into what appeared to be some kind of Infirmary with beds and shelves of potions and medicine, and other medical supplies- like bandages- littering various shelves and small tables.

There were a few people waiting for them, and it took all of Janice's will power not to step back at the unfamiliar faces.

"This is Hazel, Jenna, Sarah, Jonah, and Margaret," the man told them. "I'm Percy, and this is Audrey. We'll be taking care of you, patching up any injuries, and making sure none of you are sick."

Janice and Jenny were taken care of by Margaret, who seemed kind enough. Janice was very intelligent for her seven years of age, and she could tell that Margaret didn't have the same experience with kids as the man- Percy- did, but she was still nice and gentle as she bandaged any wounds and gave them nourishment potions and even brushed their hair. After months in the Ministry with no showers or hair brushes or soap or even toothpaste, all of the kids were very grubby, and their hair had grown longer (some of the boys had started to look like girls if that tells you anything) and was very tangled and was more knots than hair at this point.

Margaret temporarily left and returned with two bowls of steaming hot soup, but before Janice or Jenny could make a grab for the food, she stated, "Eat slowly. We don't need you getting sick."

Janice nodded and accepted a bowl, taking a bite, and making sure her sister didn't scarf down her food and overwhelm her small stomach.

The woman that had rescued them- Audrey, Janice remembered- appeared beside the bed the sisters were sitting on, and the kind woman sat in the chair beside the bed as Margaret scurried away to help another child.

"Janice and Jenny, right?" Audrey asked, and after the girls nodded, she continued, "We are going to get you two a shower, some clean clothes, and a hair cut, and then in a few hours, Percy will be taking you to a Safe House a few miles from here. You and the others will be separated-"

"We won't be separated, will we?" Janice interrupted, gesturing to her and her sister.

Audrey shook her head with a smile. "No, siblings are staying together. In a few days, we will meet up and will get you two and the others out of the country, where you'll be safe. But in the mean time, I'll show you where the showers are."

Audrey led them to the bathroom a few rooms away. There were a few showers in there, and Audrey handed them each a towel and placed two sets of clothes on the chair outside the showers before stepping out of the room and telling them to call for her if they needed anything.

After getting her younger sister was in the shower, Janice stepped behind the curtain of the one beside the shower Jenny was in and turned on the hot water.

Janice jumped as the hot water flowed over her, and she closed her eyes, feeling the dirt and blood and dust and everything else wash away and wishing that her memories could wash away with the dirt. If only it were that easy…

After finishing her shower, Janice got her and her sister dressed, but before they left the room, she caught sight of herself in a mirror and stopped in her tracks.

Her face was sunken in with dark circles under her eyes, and her once shining blue-green eyes were now dull and almost hollow. She had a cut on her cheek bone, a cut that had been repeatedly opened by the ring of one of the female Death Eaters as the woman slapped her over and over again every single day. She'd always been small for her age, but now her scrawny form was downright skeletal. Her once beautiful brown hair was now limp and the sun hasn't shined on her brown hair in so long, it appeared to have been drained of all color, and remembering the pretty shade her hair had once been and looking at it now… Janice tried not to cry. Her skin was so pale, every freckle stood out like a sore thumb.

Janice's eyes drifted to her sister, and she swallowed.

Her sister looked much better than her, but Jenny was far from healthy or unharmed. She wasn't nearly as skinny because Janice had given her most of her food during their time as prisoners in the Ministry. Jenny's eyes still held light to them, an excited spark that all children should have, but if you looked beneath the smile and the twinkle in her eyes, you could see the haunted gaze in her green orbs, and Janice will be the first to tell you that no child should look haunted. Jenny didn't have any scars on her face, but Janice knew she had some on her torso and legs and one deep scar on her shoulder. Jenny was underweight for her age and was smaller than most kids, but her bones didn't stick out like some of Janice's did. Jenny had had dark brown hair to begin with, and it had stayed the same shade, despite all the months without seeing the sun, but even after her shower, it was tangled and frizzy, and Janice remembered the silky quality her sister's hair used to have. Jenny had a few freckles on her cheekbones, and her skin was pale. Unlike Janice, whose freckles had become more prominent as her skin became paler, Jenny's freckles paled with her skin until they were only faded brown spots under her eyes and around her nose.

All in all, they looked like shadows of their former selves, and it physically pained Janice to realize that.

Janice and Jenny stepped out of the bathroom to find Audrey waiting for them, and Audrey smiled, thinking of how much better the girls looked without the dirt or the dried blood all over their skin. With their skinny frames and pale skin and Janice's haunted eyes, they didn't look good, but they did look better.

The kids followed Audrey to the next room, and Audrey gestured for them to sit in one of the several chairs occupying the room.

"I am going to give you two a hair cut," Audrey told them. "With help from my good friend Oliver, of course."

A young man- around the same age as Percy and Audrey- waved at them.

"Believe it or not, he actually knows how to cut hair. I didn't think he even knew how to _brush_ his hair," Audrey chuckled.

"Hey!" Oliver laughed. "Mine isn't nearly as bad as Percy's."

Audrey shrugged. "You have a point, but Percy's hair is downright untamable. You have no excuse. You look like you just rolled out of bed."

Oliver snorted. "It's a delicate hairstyle us boys are very experienced with," he told her before lightly brushing Jenny's soaked and wavy hair.

"Do you want your hair long or short?" Audrey questioned Janice.

"Long," Janice answered. "Can you cut Jenny's hair short, though? Our parents always did because my dad always said the longer her hair is, the harder it is to get a brush through it."

Oliver nodded. "Of course."

Half an hour later, Janice was handed a mirror, and a grin spread across her face as she stared at her hair. Audrey had only cut a few inches off (Janice's hair reached the top of her thighs after months with no hair cuts) and had unknowingly cut it the same way Janice's mom used to. Janice's brown hair was now even with the small of her back, and Audrey had placed a scarlet headband on Janice's head to keep her hair out of her eyes.

Janice glanced to the side and saw that Jenny's hair cut had been finished. Her dark hair now reached her chin, maybe a few centimeters past her jaw, and undulated with beautiful waves. It was still a little frizzy, but Jenny's hair was always frizzy. There was no escaping that.

Their hair cuts looked exactly like they did before they were captured by the Death Eaters, and Janice hoped that over time, her hair would return to the pretty shade it had once been instead of this limp, faded color. For now, though, the familiar hair cut was more than enough.

Janice turned around and surprised even herself by giving Audrey a hug.

"Thank you!" Janice exclaimed as she released Audrey from the sudden embrace.

Audrey laughed. "You're welcome," she told the small girl before looking up as the next child entered the room, led by Hazel.

* * *

It was time.

The kids had had showers, hair cuts, medical attention, some sleep, and had been fed, and before Percy knew it, it was time to split up.

Percy had returned to work before anyone had even noticed he was gone. In all the commotion that followed the kids' escape, no one had even known he had left, which was very beneficial. After working an extra hour (Percy almost always worked overtime, so even though he wanted to leave and check on Audrey and the kids they'd rescued, he forced himself to work another hour to avoid suspicion), he had returned to the base for the Freedom Fighters and found Audrey dividing the kids into groups, pairing one or two kids up with a Freedom Fighter, and the minute Percy stepped inside, Audrey informed Janice and Jenny that Percy would be their guide or whatever (they still hasn't figured out what to call this job other than a rescue mission).

Audrey took a shaky breath as the Freedom Fighters stood with the kids they'd been assigned to protect in the woods a little less than a mile from their headquarters.

"Ready?" she asked Percy.

Percy smiled, thinly. "Nope. Let's do this."

 _Famous last words,_ Percy thought as the Freedom Fighters grabbed the hands of the kid or kids they'd been assigned and branched off in different directions, all of them feeling like they were heading towards their doom as each small group now stood alone.

* * *

 _I apologize for any mistakes. I am incredibly tired and wanted to get this chapter posted as soon as possible, so my editing was not my best._

 _IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:_

 _I would like to start writing in some new fandoms. I have already started to branch out to new fandoms (I recently fell in love with **Big Hero 6** ), but I am going to start taking requests. By requests, I don't necessarily mean prompts. I mean, books/series you would like me to read, movies/TV shows you would like me to watch. I cannot promise that I can follow through with every request (whether because there's something about it that makes me uncomfortable, like certain horror movies, or because I don't currently have access to the book/show/movie or another reason), but I will try to get to as many requests as possible._

 _Note: While I am taking requests, I can't promise I can start writing something in a new fandom right away. I have a lot of in progress stories right now, and while I am trying to finish them, my current in progress stories are my priority. That means, they're might be a one shot, but I will not be starting anymore in progress stories until I finish some of the ones I'm already doing._

 _Anyway, feel free to leave a request or positive/constructive feedback in the reviews or send me a PM. Thank you. Goodbye!_


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